European Tour Weekly - May 8th 2013

5/8/2013 5:08:00 PM

Edoardo Molinari (Getty Images)

The European Tour this week enjoys a well earned break after a busy start to the season before it resumes once again next week with two events, the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI as well as the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria.

With The European Tour growing each year ETW recently visited its founding father, John Jacobs OBE. In 1954 a then 29 year old Jacobs led the opening charge in what was set to be a 20-plus year battle to revolutionise the sport’s tournament scene. In an exclusive interview ETW spoke to John Jacobs as well as his successors at the European Tour, Ken Schofield and George O’Grady.

Helping to feed the strength of The European Tour has been the steady influx of futures stars making the way via The Challenge Tour, which this year celebrates its 25th year. Michael Campbell became the first former member to win a Major with his famous victory at the 2005 US Open Championship, and his feat was later emulated by Trevor Immelman (the 2008 Masters Tournament), Louis Oosthuizen (The 2010 Open Championship) and Martin Kaymer (the 2010 US PGA Championship), who in 2011 became the first graduate to top the Official World Golf Ranking.

One former Challenge Tour player making progress on The European Tour this season is former Walker Cup player Andy Sullivan. Having gained his card through last year’s Qualifying School, Sullivan has recorded three top ten finishes so far to be handily placed inside the top 60 in The Race to Dubai.

Our review comes from the Volvo China Open and ETW will bring you the best of the action from Binhai Lake Golf Club.

Whilst in China ETW caught up with Edoardo Molinari, who is looking to regain his form after suffering an injury ravaged 2012 season. Twice a winner in 2010 which saw him make the Ryder Cup team at Celtic Manor, Molinari struggled in 2011 before undergoing surgery on his wrist last year which saw him out of action for three months. After a slow start to his campaign this year he narrowly missed out on his first win in three years at the Maybank Malaysian Open.

Together with all of the latest news and statistics from the Tour, this completes another edition of European Tour Weekly.